I wished I could have believed Tasha and her suggestion that they were jealous of me, but I really couldn’t. What was there to be jealous of? I got in trouble, like the others. I had feuds with people. I had the pleasure of having my blood and DNA poked at. None of those things were exactly worthy of envy.
And if anyone wanted those things, well, they were free to take them. I could live without the fights, the appointments with Doc.
The only thing I was as confused as Rachel about was Linc, because even I didn’t know what he saw in me. I was moody at the best of times, and a wreck at the worst. I had…issues. Lots and lots of issues.
“Hey, Jade.”
I looked up when I heard Mr. Sheldon’s voice. He stepped off the elevator, turned toward me. I looked around and frowned. I didn’t even realize I’d gotten to the fifth floor. “Hi,” I said. “Is the room open?”
“Shouldn’t you be having breakfast?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah, I did.” I’d had at least one piece of bacon. Maybe? “Linc and Tasha are still eating, so I figured I’d just read until class started.”
“It’s the last day of class, Jade. You don’t have to read anything. I think we both know you’ve passed Demonology already.”
“Well, until the grades are posted, I’m pretending I don’t know. Besides, a little extra studying never hurt anyone.”
“You’re a good student. You don’t need to study as much as you do. Every assignment has been turned in and graded. Even your report on the new hybrid demon was exceptional—one of the best I’ve seen, to be honest. Well thought out, well researched. You’d do well as a scientist.”
I didn’t cringe, but it was a close call. Scientist was too close to doctor, and I had no desire to be a doctor.
Mr. Sheldon laughed. “I know that look. My point is, I can’t give you any extra credit.” He winked at me. “There really isn’t anything above an A+, I’m afraid.”
“I know.” My tone went quiet. “I just want to study for a while.”
He studied me briefly, and then nodded softly, like he realized I wanted to do this for other reasons beyond studying. “Then come on in,” he said, motioning for me to follow.
“Thanks.”
He unlocked the Demonology door and held it open for me to go inside. I took my seat at the back of the room, then turned my tablet on. When it booted up, I opened my Demonology text and started to read. I’d already read everything and was halfway through my reread, so I just started where I’d left off.
I’d barely had a chance to read a single page before I heard my name. I glanced up, thinking it must’ve been Mr. Sheldon, but his head was down. Okay, so maybe I just thought I heard my name. Shrugging, I went back to reading. I heard my name again a few seconds later, but Mr. Sheldon’s head was still down. By the fourth time, I was just about to cart myself off to Doc for hearing voices in my head. Mr. Sheldon’s head was still down, but he was fighting a grin. His gaze darted to me, then back down. Silence lasted another five seconds, then he looked up and started laughing his head off.
“Sorry,” he said. “It’s one of the new features I discovered a few months back. I’ve been waiting to test it on somebody, and since you were here…”
“What, the blackboard comes with a crazy-making feature?”
Still chuckling, he shook his head. He pressed a button and then I heard my name again. It’d been really low the first times I heard it, so it‘d sounded like a whisper. But now that he turned the volume up, I could hear hints of a mechanical sound in it.
“That’s creepy,” I decided, “but kind of cool.”
“They all have cameras installed, in case we need to leave during class.” He held up his own tablet that displayed the classroom. Eyes still on the screen, I waved my hand and watched myself wave on his tablet. Mr. Sheldon leaned back in his chair. “You know, I never had aspirations of being a spy as a kid, but if this kind of technology had been around back then…”
“Don’t tell Linc. Then he’ll really say you’re cheating.”
That just made him grin. “Great, isn’t it? I’ve been waiting to use it all Phase but never had a chance. Now that it’s the last day…I won’t feel guilty for interrupting anyone.” He shrugged. “Time to liven things up. You look like you could use a good laugh, so don’t say anything, okay? It’ll be our little secret.”
I smiled. Mr. Sheldon had always been my favorite teacher, but the fact that he was willing to scare a bunch of Prospects to cheer me up made me like him even more. I should’ve felt guilty, but I didn’t. “I won’t say anything.” No way would I ruin a chance to freak Linc out—or help someone else do it.
The door opened a few minutes later and Prospects started piling in. Linc and Tasha were among the first few. A couple of the other Prospects glanced at me and rolled their eyes while others did the cough thing to (poorly) hide their insults. For a few minutes, I’d forgotten I’d come to class early to escape that. My almost-good mood plummeted again.
“Did you have something to say to me, Mr. Reynolds?” Mr. Sheldon asked, his tone, as usual, was mild.
Eric Reynolds had been one of the fake-cough people. He looked up quickly, shook his head, and looked away again. “No, sir,” he said, his gaze now landing on me. He glared.
Mr. Sheldon looked my way and raised his eyebrows. When I just shrugged, he gave me a small nod.
Since it was the last day, Mr. Sheldon just told us all to pick a chapter and read silently.
Not more than ten minutes passed before Mr. Sheldon said, “I need to step out for a few minutes. Keep reading,” grabbed his tablet, and left.
I fought to keep my face expressionless, because I assumed he was going to try to freak everyone else out, like he’d done to me when I first came in.
But the door hadn’t been shut thirty seconds before I didn’t have to fight a grin anymore—instead, I had to fight a frown.
At least three chairs scraped against the floor as the kids nearest to me turned in their seats. At the front of the room, Eric did the same thing. He glared my way. He rose from his seat and then sat on the edge of his desk. One foot was on the ground, so he swung the other. He had a nasty smile on his face. “So, what’s it like, Jade?” he asked, his tone conversational. “Being part demon?”
CHAPTER 21
Forcing my head down, I kept my eyes on my tablet and one hand under the desk, balled into a fist.
“Well?” Eric said when I didn’t answer.
I looked up only long enough to roll my eyes.
Linc pushed up from his seat. “What’s your problem, Eric?”
“Don’t,” I whispered to Linc. “He’s not worth it.”
“My problem? Besides being stuck in the same class with a demon? Nothing.”
Linc didn’t move any closer to him, but he laughed. “Really? Because from what I remember, when Director Greene mentioned the genetic treatments, you were one the first people raising his hand, volunteering. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got a problem with it?”
Eric’s cheeks went red. “That was before.”
“Before what, exactly?”
“Before your girlfriend started talking to demons and going around attacking people for no reason.”
“Oh, please. For no reason?” I said, focusing on the attacking bit and not the demon-talking thing. “Rachel’s been in my face any chance she gets, running her mouth because Felecia got herself kicked out.”
“You mean before you got her kicked out.”
Linc’s arms started to shake. “You were there when Director Greene talked about what happened. Felecia ran off after vampires and Jade nearly got killed because of it.”
Eric sneered. “Yeah, or so he says. But he’s been soft on her since she joined. She probably ran off herself and got attacked, and then blamed Felecia for it to cover her own ass. She’s his little pet project or something, letting her join without the probationary period that everyone had to go through, letting her finish her Phase in on
ly a few months.” He pushed off his desk, slamming it away from him so it slid across the floor with an awful screech. “She’s always been off,” he said, looking at Linc. “She’s got those extra appointments with Doc that no one else gets. And now we know why. Because she’s a demon!”
“Let me stop you right there, Mr. Reynolds.” It was Greene’s voice.
Eric and everyone else whipped around in their seats, expecting to see Greene standing there, but he wasn’t. It was almost a minute before he stepped in the classroom with Mr. Sheldon behind him. Both of them looked angry. I’d seen Greene mad before, so that didn’t really surprise me, but I’d never seen Mr. Sheldon look so…formidable before. He was always easy-going and wearing a smile, even when he was serious. He had an unlimited supply of patience. Or he had. Now it looked like he’d run out of it.
Greene stood in front of Mr. Sheldon’s desk. He eyed Eric, then the rest of the room. He didn’t speak until everyone was back in their seat. “Miss Hall wasn’t given anything, nor has she been given preferential treatment. Was she allowed to join without a probationary period? Yes, she was. My reasons for that are my own and I won’t explain them to you as, honestly, they’re none of your business, Mr. Reynolds, nor anyone else’s. Was Miss Hall allowed to finish her first Phase early? Again, yes, she was, but she earned it. She did an entire Phase worth of work in less than half the time. Every report, every assignment. All of it. And she volunteered to do it.”
Eric rolled his eyes again and made a snort sound. “Yeah, but she had an unfair advantage.”
Greene raised one eyebrow, and keeping his tone mild, said, “Oh? And what, may I ask, was her advantage?”
“Her memory! She remembers everything and doesn’t even need to study.”
“Bullshit!” Linc said, jumping to his feet again. “Sorry, Director Greene, but that’s what it is.”
“Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Stone, but I think it would be better if Miss Hall responded.” Greene looked to me. “Is what Mr. Reynolds believes true? During your time here, have you never studied?”
I shook my head. “No. I study,” I said quietly.
“Thank you. Now, a question for the rest of you. How much time, would you all say, do you study in any given week? Five hours? Ten?”
Mostly everyone gave a reluctant nod. There were a few, like Eric, who only continued to glare.
Greene’s gaze fell on Linc. “Mr. Stone, I think it’s fair to say that, of everyone here, you’ve spent more time with Miss Hall than anyone else. How often would you say she studies?”
Linc laughed. “She studies twice as much as me.”
“And me,” Tasha said.
Linc nodded. “Pretty much whenever she’s not forced out of her room.”
“Thank you both. Now,” Greene continued, “outside of her classes and eating, how often do any of you see her?”
That question, more than the others, gave some people pause. Students turned to others, giving each other questioning glances.
“Miss Hall may have been given some leeway here or there, but she’s worked twice as hard as any of you to get where she is.”
“She got Felecia kicked out,” Eric pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. “And she’s still part demon.”
“Miss Fitzgerald got herself kicked out. And if it hadn’t been for Miss Hall, she would have been kicked out a lot sooner. As for your other…statement.” Greene glanced to the side.
Mr. Sheldon stepped forward. “I’m also part demon. So are the rest of your teachers, along with a number of the agents who work here. How many of you have a problem with that?”
No one answered his question, but Eric’s comment was, “But you just teach Demonology.”
“I’m also a hunter,” he replied easily. “I just enjoy teaching more.”
Everyone seemed surprised by that revelation, including me. I knew Peter and some of the others had the treatments, but I’d had no idea Mr. Sheldon and the other teachers were hunters.
“As for Miss Fitzgerald… What happened with her was unfortunate. It’s a rare occasion that a Prospect or an agent is expelled or fired. Unfortunately, it does happen. But Miss Hall had nothing to do with that. In fact, had it not been for Miss Hall’s fast reaction time, they both likely would have been killed.”
“Yeah, but—”
Greene cut Eric off with one hard look. His jaw tightened. “To be perfectly honest with you all, I’ve never been more disappointed in a single Phase of Prospects. Miss Hall nearly died twice because of Miss Fitzgerald’s actions. First, because of a prank gone wrong, and again when Miss Fitzgerald chose to run after two vampires instead of following simple, basic instructions. Miss Hall risked her own life to save her. She risked her life,” he repeated, his tone hardening, “for someone who showed absolutely no regard for her own life, or for Miss Hall’s.”
“What about those weird appointments with Doc?”
“Mr. Reynolds, you and everyone else would all do well to focus on your own appointments and not worry about hers.”
Someone raised their hand. “But why has she had more than anyone else?”
Greene didn’t comment. He stood quietly, looking from one face to another. “Miss Hall was not scratched by a vampire last Phase. She was bitten by one, and she graciously agreed to help us, hopefully, find out how she survived it.”
“But you told us—”
“I know what I told you. What happened that night wasn’t anyone else’s business. Make no mistake, it still isn’t, and I’m only telling you this now because I’m hoping it will clear up a few things and make you understand the situation better.”
Eric jumped up from his seat. “We understand it alright. She’s a demon, and that’s how she survived.”
“Also understand that I’m growing weary of being interrupted.”
At Greene’s words, Eric narrowed his eyes.
“We’ve had hunters scratched by vampires. Some were lucky and survived, others weren’t. But even the survivors wouldn’t have wished what had happened to them on their worst enemy. You’ve all read your texts on vampires, the symptoms of a simple scratch by one. How many of you would have willingly risked a scratch for someone who didn’t like you, for someone you probably didn’t like that much in return? I can assure you, the number isn’t that high. And I can assure you, just as seriously, that the number would be even lower if I asked you to be bitten by one.”
Everyone stared at me again, some with almost apologetic looks. But most, like Eric, didn’t seem to care either way. My gaze went back to the blackboard and I fought the urge to…do something. I wasn’t even sure. Scream, punch, run. All of the above.
When no one said anything, Greene shook his head and glanced at Mr. Sheldon. “You’re all excused. Miss Hall, Mr. Stone, if you would please stay.”
“See?” Eric muttered.
“Mr. Reynolds, unless you want to count yourself among those expelled, I would hold my tongue if I were you.”
He looked like he would say something else, but instead, he shot one last nasty look my way, and then stormed out of the class.
Tasha rose from her seat and came over to my desk. She leaned down and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “Ignore him. I’ll take a friend who’s a complete demon over his dumb ass,” she whispered.
I forced a smile. “Thanks, Tasha.”
As people started to pile out, I got to my feet. A few kids, I noticed, wouldn’t meet my gaze. Not that I really minded. I didn’t want to meet theirs either. Some, I hoped, were just following their friends’ leads. It didn’t excuse them, but I understood that. It was hard to stand up for someone when everyone else was sitting down.
The classroom emptied and Greene made his way to me. His features were soft now. “My apologies, Miss Hall. I fear this is, in a large part, my fault. I wasn’t very forthcoming with the details when you were hurt, and I fear I may have…not given them the wrong impression, exactly, but I may not have given them a strong
enough one. You are, and have been, an exemplary student and a great addition to the CGE.”
“Thanks,” I said. My tone wasn’t exactly disrespectful or unfriendly, but it wasn’t all that enthusiastic, either.
Greene inclined his head. “You’re likely still considering whether or not you want to stay after your discussion with Dr. Hamilton. You also questioned it last Phase, though the circumstances were slightly different. I wouldn’t blame you if you feel you made the wrong decision then, but I do hope you’ll—”
“I didn’t make the wrong decision,” I said. I hadn’t planned on saying that, and until I did, I didn’t realize I truly meant it. I set my jaw, looked up into eyes. “And I’m not going anywhere.” Not now. How could I? Then Eric—and Rachel and the others—would think they’d scared me away, and they would have been right.
Greene’s smile was slow. “I’m pleased to hear that. You’re stronger than any of them realize. More, I think you’re stronger than even you realize. Not many would have the courage to stay after… I’m not even sure what I would call that, except to say you were very wronged by every one of them. I meant what I said earlier about being disappointed.” His gaze darkened again. “I wish I could say this would make things easier for you. To an extent, I believe it will. However…”
“It’s high school.”
He nodded. “In many aspects, it is, yes, and unfortunately, while a lot of our Prospects are wiser than their years, others aren’t quite there. It is one of the hazards of this program.”
“I understand.”
Greene turned to Linc. “And Mr. Stone, as I understand it, you and Miss Monroe were the only students who stood up for Miss Hall. I thank you.”
Linc shrugged. “No big. She would have done the same for me.”
Breed of Envy (The Breed Chronicles, #02) Page 31
